Balen Shah Defeats KP Sharma Oli in High-Profile Jhapa–5 Election

Massive victory in one of Nepal’s most closely watched races positions Balen Shah as next Prime Minister for the next five years

Saturday, March 7, 2026 by Manik Maharjan

Balen Shah Defeats KP Sharma Oli in High-Profile Jhapa–5 Election

In one of the most closely watched contests of Nepal’s ongoing election, Balen Shah has secured a landslide victory in Jhapa-5, defeating former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in a dramatic political upset.

Running under the banner of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Balen Shah received 55,934 votes, comfortably surpassing Oli, the senior leader of CPN-UML, who secured 15,809 votes. Meanwhile, Samir Tamang from the Shram Sanskriti Party received 8,199 votes.

The Jhapa–5 constituency had drawn national attention due to the high-profile rivalry between the independent-minded urban reform figure Balen Shah and veteran political leader KP Sharma Oli. Political observers described the result as a major turning point in Nepal’s political landscape, reflecting strong voter support for new leadership and political change.

With this decisive victory and strong support across several constituencies nationwide, Balen Shah is now set to lead the government and represent the country as Prime Minister for the next five years, marking the beginning of a new political chapter.